Crisis
by WhyMustIWrite
Summary: Starvation, exposure, and illness are the enemy when four Fire Country ninja are stranded in the Land of Snow. Featuring Iruka, Hayate, Izumo, and Kotetsu
1. Chapter 1

Some of the scenarios presented in this fanfiction are loosely based on true stories.

* * *

The ninja squad leader turns to me, tension in his form and irritation on his face. "How much further?" he demands.

'_I don't know,'_I think to myself, but dare not say aloud. These men, these four Konoha ninja, hired me to guide them through the mountain pass. If I confess that I had gotten lost- that I've been aimlessly leading them about for the past week in the hopes of regaining my bearings- they'll kill me for sure.

So instead, I smile at the leader whose hair covers his right eye, the one named Izumo, and say "Just another week, sir. We'll be out of this mountain range and much closer to the village by then."

Izumo narrows his eyes at me. I know he suspects something. But these Fire Country men have never journeyed in the Land of Snow. They have no way of knowing that I'm leading them astray.

I never had the dubious honor of meeting a Leaf ninja before. However, on rare occasions shinobi from villages like Rain and Cloud have hired men from our guide company. They paid well, but were intolerant of errors. Good men have been murdered by foreign ninja for lesser mistakes than mine.

The one with bandages over his nose, Kotetsu, shudders and draws his waterproof coat more tightly around him. "Some _shortcut_ this turned out to be, Riku. Didn't you say cutting through this god-forsaken mountain range was faster than traveling around it?"

"Oh, it is," I assure quickly. And that was true, provided that one doesn't get lost along the way. "It's just taking longer than expected because the path I wanted to take is blocked. You know, it's impossible to map this terrain; it changes due to the frequent avalanches."

"Avalanches_?_" The one with the scar across his nose repeats sharply, "You didn't mention that two weeks ago when we chose this route.

I should have kept my mouth shut. "Ah…well, I didn't think it needed mentioning." I force myself to smile at the man, Iruka, "It's not the season for avalanches anyway."

Iruka doesn't look comforted. Instead, he scans the steep landscape around us. I doubt that a citizen of Fire Country would know much about assessing avalanche conditions.

I hear a wracking cough to my right and glance discreetly at the fourth ninja of our party. Hayate seemed ill even at the beginning of our journey. This draining trek across steep, snowy terrain did nothing to improve his unhealthy pallor or persistent cough. The low air pressure has made him altitude sick, but he and the others are determined to press on.

Kotetsu checks his ration bag and swears under his breath. "My rations are running low. How are yours holding up?"

"I've got a week's supply," Izumo replies. "Longer, if I skimp."

Iruka reports a similar amount. Hayate is the only one with a solid two weeks worth of rations in his bag.

"You haven't been eating much, have you?" the scarred-nose ninja asks their ill comrade.

"I haven't been very hungry," the sallow skinned man admits.

Kotetsu shakes his head. "You need to eat to keep your strength up."

"Fortunately, Riku said we're a week away from getting out this mountain range," Izumo interjects. "We should have enough food to last until then. But just in case, we're going to conserve by switching to a light ration diet- except for Hayate," he adds bringing his hand to the sick man's shoulder, "You should eat as often as you can manage. Hold on to a third of your rations, and give me the rest."

Hayate nods, and Izumo looks to his other squadmates. "You both relinquish all your remaining rations. I'll distribute them as needed."

His three squadmates obey without question. It seems they didn't even entertain the notion that Izumo might be unfair in his distribution or that he might sneak the food for himself. They trust their leader implicitly.

I'm surprised by how close-knit this Konoha group appears. My fellows at the company tell me that ninja are a cut-throat, cold-hearted bunch. Perhaps the Land of Fire breeds an entirely different brand of soldier.

It almost makes me want to confess that I have no idea where we are or where we're going. Maybe these ninja could help me backtrack to the point where I lost the trail. Maybe they _won't_ slit my throat for wasting their time.

Then again, do I really want to risk it?

No, I do not.

* * *

The blizzard appears without warning, dumping sheets of snow and reducing our visibility to just a few feet around us. It's a white-out and, even if I were not already lost, I'd have no idea where to go. My sense of time and direction are completely distorted.

I can barely move through the heavy snow and unrelenting wind. I stumble and almost fall, when a strong arm grabs my waist and tosses me up over a shoulder. A snow-saturated ponytail brushes my cheek and I realize that the one named Iruka must be carrying me.

It's pretty humiliating to be carried- I'm the strongest man in my company, after all- but my protests are half-hearted. Iruka moves far more easily through this blizzard than I could. All the ninja are. It takes me several minutes to realize they are walking _on top_ of the soft, deep snow, their feet never sinking down into the drifts.

How this bunch managed to find a cave despite the complete white out conditions, I'll never know. Iruka sets me down by a stone wall before collapsing by my side, panting for breath. The trek was not as effortless as he'd made it seem, which kind of makes me feel better.

Hayate helps Iruka take a drink from a canteen. They've been keeping the containers filled with snow melted by the fire they breathe from their mouths. Like dragons. When I first saw that, I began walking a bit farther from the ill swordsman, lest he accidentally spit up flames during one of his coughing fits.

Meanwhile, Kotetsu and Izumo set up camp. There is no wood to maintain a fire, but a small lantern provides a little visibility.

We're all wet and frozen. Dry clothes are removed from waterproof packs while the snow saturated ones are laid out. They use their fire tricks to heat the air somewhat, but without wood to burn there is no way to maintain it.

Izumo examines their ration box and frowns. "Riku…I need you to be straight with me. How much longer before we get out of this mountain range?"

"Oh…j-just a f-f-few more days," I shiver. "It's h-hard to tell exactly because of this st-st-storm. It may end up being longer now." Thankfully, the blizzard has given me an excuse for further delay. I have more time to get back on the right track. Although, realistically, hopes of recovering the trail are rapidly diminishing and I can't help but wonder if a quick death would be better than wasting away slowly with these shinobi.

"You told us one week, almost a week and a half ago!" Izumo snaps, impatient with my evasiveness.

"It's difficult to estimate these things…" I glance away furtively.

A look of understanding dawns on Kotetsu. "You don't know." His eyebrows draw together in anger, "_You don't know where the hell we are, do you?_"

"No! I mean, yes! Yes I do!" My voice is frantic and I cringe at the panicked sound. Seems I'm not too keen on a quick death after all. "I only lost track during the blizzard, but I know where we are…"

"_Liar!"_ Kotetsu snarls and slams me up against the cave wall. His face is a bit gaunt due to the meager diet they've all been on, but he's still frighteningly strong. A kunai is held to my throat and I know that I'm about to be murdered.

Looks like Konoha shinobi were not so rare a breed after all.

"Tell me who you're working for!"

The demand catches me by surprise, and I glance at Kotetsu in confusion.

"Who is trying to stop us from reaching the village?" He presses. "Tell me now!"

They think I was hired to keep them sidetracked, I realize. Breaking down, I confess what really happened and why I had kept the information from them. It takes a while to convince them, but they finally believe me.

A look of dismay crosses Izumo's face as he realizes that, for our three weeks of travel, we've been lost for two and a half of them. Hayate reaches out and squeezes their leader's shoulder reassuringly.

Kotetsu punches the wall, creating several cracks in the stone. "What do we do now? That damned blizzard is going to obliterate our trail. Even if we wanted to backtrack…"

Iruka is peering solemnly at the darkness beyond the cave exit. "We'll find a way."

They are silent for a moment, and I wonder what my punishment will be.

"Riku, give me your food."

Resigned to my fate, I hand over my own rations to the leader of this squad.

I had packed more food than the ninja because, unlike them, I do not regularly attempt to procure sustenance from the wilderness. I know this mountain range is too cold, harsh, and highly elevated to support much of anything- a fact that I probably should have warned them about before we started this journey.

I suppose it's only fair that I be left to starve, as I am the one responsible for their dire predicament.

Izumo adds my items to his food box and looks it over, gathering his thoughts. "Men," he addresses his squad finally, "We're on starvation ration diets until we make it out of this place. I'm dividing some of the provisions now. It's up to you how quickly you want to eat it. Just remember you won't be getting anything more for two days."

The ninja nod their understanding and wait patiently while Izumo sorts out their portions. Finally he hands each of them a single ration bar.

Ashamed, I fix my eyes on the ground. Thus I'm surprised when I feel something being pressed into my hand. I look up to find Izumo passing me _two_ration bars.

The confusion must have shown on my face, for the shinobi explained, "Civilians need more sustenance than ninja."

I palm the proffered rations in awe. Not only were they _not_ going to kill me…they were actually concerned about my survival. As we go to sleep that night, huddled together for warmth, I come to realize that yes, Konoha does produce an entirely different brand of soldier.

* * *

Another week has passed, and even the fire-breathing, snow-skimming, superhuman ninja are waning. Every day we make less progress than the one before. Their bodies grow leaner, their faces gaunt. They had given up on their previous method of walking on the snow (something about needing to conserve their chakra?) and instead crafted the oddest-looking snow shoes I've ever seen, using a hodgepodge of altered equipment tied together with something they call chakra wire. I also am wearing a set of snow shoes, crafted for me by Iruka.

Of all the ninja in the group, I've come to like Iruka most. Around him, I sometimes forget that I had failed this group so thoroughly. He is the one smiling and encouraging, relentlessly optimistic when everything seems hopeless. He is the one who wordlessly supports Hayate when the man's coughing fits become so bad he can barely walk on his own.

But now, even Iruka's smiles are rare. I am no longer travelling with unflappable shinobi. No, we are a company of desperate men with hunger tormented eyes. I can tell it's becoming more difficult for Izumo to part with the double portion that has been my lot since the day of the blizzard. But he knows I am unable to handle the severe rationing they are enduring. He knows, and somehow he cares.

We're approaching a summit, one we've been trying to reach for days. From there we'll be able to see for miles around us. I have been growing more and more confident that we are indeed approaching the village they were bound for. Once we get to the summit, we'll see how much farther we have to go.

Iruka quickens his pace and runs up ahead. He turns and offers one of his now-rare smiles. "Come on guys, almost there!"

_Almost there_. That thought quickens all our steps. I stumble up to the summit and lift my eyes to behold…

Nothing.

For miles around, nothing but a cruel sea of rock and snow.

I fall to my knees, clutching my head and letting out a strangled wail. "We're going to _die_here," I sob in anguish. "We're all going to die."


	2. Chapter 2

I don't know how long I knelt there, weeping and quivering in the snow. But after some time I hear Kotetsu's voice.

"Get up," he demands in a clipped tone.

Shakily, I obey.

One hand gruffly grabs the front of my coat collar, the other waves out toward the barren landscape before us. "Where are we?"

"I…I...don't know…"

The ninja bares his teeth. His free hand grabs the other side of my collar. "I _refuse_ to die here! You hear me?"

"Kotetsu," Izumo halts his friend with a hand on his arm. "Don't upset him. He won't remember anything if he's frantic."

Thankfully, Kotetsu heeds the other man's admonition and reigns in his temper. He lets go of my collar after Izumo's pointed look.

They are all watching me expectantly, so I try to explain. "But I…I really don't know. We're hopelessly off the trails. I have no idea where we could be."

Hayate tries to speak, but a coughing fit steals his words. Once he is able to breathe, he tries again. "Please, Riku. Is there _anything_ you recognize? Anything at all, that might tell us where we are?"

"Look carefully," Iruka adds, patting my back encouragingly. "You can do it if you focus. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, then look again. Don't center on your fear."

I frown at him skeptically, but nonetheless turn toward the depressing scene before me. Eyes shut, I breathe deeply, trying to push aside my panic and then re-survey the landscape.

I knew it wouldn't work.

Why, there's nothing out there but craggy snow covered mountains. It's the same everywhere I look. All the same.

Well, except for that convex slope on the mountain across from us. The slopes around here are generally concave, ascending quite steeply. Now that I think about it…that odd slope and sharp peak _did_ look familiar.

Slowly, I begin to pick out landmarks. Though I still don't know _exactly_ where I am, it's enough that I'm able to discern the general area.

"We're by Mt. Fugiyaki," I announce. "That's in the center of the mountain range. The closest village should be east, about two hundred miles."

The shinobi exchange unreadable glances, but I know what they must be thinking. Two hundred miles. In our condition, it may as well be two thousand. What's the use of knowing where to go, when you haven't the means to get there?

"So what are we standing around for?" Kotetsu says finally. "Let's do this."

Iruka nods and links his elbow around Hayate's, providing support. "Ready when you are."

"All right, men. Two hundred miles east," Izumo affirms. "Let's move."

The trek down the mountain is easier than the hike up, but by this point every joint in my body is screaming in pain. The shinobi travel at a punishing pace and I do my best to keep up. My legs are weakening, my steps unsteady.

Hayate breaks away to hand me a canteen. "You need to drink."

I blink at him, taking in the grayish skin tone and alarmingly dark circles under his eyes and feeling somewhat ashamed of myself. Here was a man, dreadfully ill, who has to remind _me_, a wilderness guide, to stay hydrated.

My father used to say that in times of crisis, the true mettle of men is revealed. The way these four support one another and, despite everything, move unrelentingly forward…it makes me think that Konohans must have a will of iron.

"Will of Fire," Iruka corrects, when I mention this to him. But it seems that's all the breath he has left to spare for talking, for he explains no further.

I'm still lost in thought about that peculiar phrase when I hear Izumo sharply call out "_Avalanche!" _

I am roughly grabbed around the waist and tossed onto a bony shoulder. The familiar ponytail is brushing against my face. I hear the thunderous rumble of the snow…but _Iruka doesn't run_.

"Run!" I scream, pounding my fists weakly against Iruka's back. Craning my neck, I catch a frightening glimpse of the wall of snow bearing down on us. "_Run for cover!"_

Iruka takes a deep breath, crouches, then leaps into the air. The gravity-defying jump sends us soaring high above the cascading avalanche.

Unfortunately, gravity soon re-exerts its authority, and we are plummeting down toward the churning snow. Hanging on with a white-knuckled grip and eyes clamped shut, I brace for impact.

The landing is surprisingly light. Rather than sinking and being choked under the merciless white substance, Iruka is surfing the avalanche, allowing it to speed us onward in our descent down the mountain.

I catch a glimpse of the others doing the same. Kotetsu is sporting a wild grin, whooping in exhilaration. Izumo smacks his head and yells at him to pay attention.

Our terrifying ride finally comes to an end. Once the snow stops, Iruka sinks onto his knees, drooping with exhaustion. Somehow I manage to release my death grip on him and stumble backwards, landing on my rear.

"_Hayate_!"

I look up quickly when I hear Izumo crying the other man's name. Iruka is up and racing toward his comrade, who is standing close Kotetsu.

"Hayate tripped- he's buried somewhere!"

They begin seeking out their comrade. At least, I suppose that's what they are doing. Iruka is standing completely still, his eyes clamped shut and a look of concentration on his face. Izumo and Kotetsu have also shut their eyes, but they at least were walking around, each setting off in opposite directions.

"Found him!" Kotetsu calls. Iruka winces and clamps his hands over his ears as though the shout had been painful to hear. I rush forward to help them dig out their partner, but falter as the bandaged ninja begins forming handsigns.

Kotetsu instantly burrows underground and pops back up within seconds, comrade in arm. They wrap blankets around the shivering, snow-encrusted man and immediately begin seeking shelter.

* * *

Getting buried in an avalanche worsened Hayate's condition. His cough is much deeper, sounding suspiciously like bronchitis. He never quite seems able to catch his breath. Though he hasn't spoken a word of complaint, occasionally I notice him rubbing his chest with a pained expression. Heck, Hayate's stumbling worse than I am…and that's saying something.

After a long day spent covering a pitiful distance, our group retires into a cave for the frigid night. It's fortunate that we found shelter, since we don't have energy to spare on building a snow cave, like we did last night.

We are all desperately, achingly ravenous. Today, according to the squad leader's schedule, we get to eat again.

Izumo sighs as he opens the ration box. "This is it, men. This is the last of our food."

He hands each of us a single ration bar.

I can't help but sense a dreadful finality in the gesture.

Iruka, in spite of the solemnity, manages a smile as he comments, "Ah…the honey drizzled kind. You saved the best for last."

Hayate is the only one who doesn't respond to the absurd statement with either a grudging smile or a roll of the eyes. Instead, he stares solemnly at the small packet in his hand before setting it down on the ground. "Divide this between the rest of you," he wheezes, his voice raw and gravelly from all the coughing. "I'm not going to make it. You need it more than I do."

The other three stare at Hayate in shock. Finally, Kotetsu kneels and picks up the ration bar. He takes the sickly man's wrist and presses the food into his palm. "You _are_going to need this, Hayate, because you _are_ going to make it. Don't you dare say otherwise. Don't you _dare._"

I restrain the urge to ask if _I_could have his ration bar, since the man didn't seem to want it. Though I am literally starving, I don't imagine the request would go over very well.

That night, hunger makes it difficult to sleep. I've only eaten a third of my ration. Knowing that this is the very last bit of sustenance I have, I want to make it last. The others seem to have similar thoughts, as I didn't notice any of them taking more than a bite or two of their share.

Something is moving at my side, and I continue to lie still. I thought everyone else was asleep, but it seems that at least one other man is up.

Iruka soundlessly sits up, looking around before scooting closer to the slumbering Hayate. The scarred ninja stretches cautiously over the other man, stealthily withdrawing Hayate's ration box.

Disappointment settles in my gut. Not that I can't understand his actions, but I had really _respected_ Iruka. Hunger turned him into a thief- desperate enough to steal a dying man's last meal.

I see further movement. Iruka is withdrawing his own pack. Carefully, he extracts his own ration bar and tucks it into his comrade's box.

Not desperate thievery. No, I am witnessing sacrificial giving.

* * *

The next day, we are on the move again. As we walk, I reflect on the scene from this morning, when Hayate discovered his mysterious extra ration and demanded to know whose it was. Everyone denied their involvement. Finally, Izumo insisted that Hayate accept it as an omen of good fortune and not waste such a useful miracle.

The swordsman did not buy that story, but it was clear he would never know the truth and not a one of them would take the bar from him. Iruka pointed out that an extra ration would help him keep up better. Hayate, who was frustrated about slowing down his team, argued no further. He did, however, split the bar with me, the poor civilian also bogging down the hike.

We trek for another six hours. Suddenly I collapse into the snow. For a few moments, I attempt to get up. All my efforts prove futile; my muscles refuse to obey. Finally, I relax and close my eyes. This is it.

"No…get up…" Iruka pulls me to my feet, swaying from the exertion as he struggles to keep me standing.

"I can't do it anymore." My body slumps against the scarred ninja as I state that fact. I simply cannot push myself any further.

Kotetsu pulls me off Iruka and tries to force me to accept my own weight. "Don't give up, Riku. You _can't_ quit now!" I almost laugh because, in typical Kotetsu fashion, it sounds a lot more like he's barking an order than trying to encourage.

Izumo tiredly rubs his temple. "It's no use, Kotetsu. He can't keep up."

Beside him, Hayate doubles over into another coughing fit. He spits thickly, staining the snow with blood. "Soon I won't be able to keep going either. No-" he forestalls Izumo's protest, "We both know it's the truth. In the meantime, I'm only slowing you down. Leave Riku and me behind. When you reach the village, you can send someone back to help."

Izumo furrows his brow. As much as he dislikes the idea, he cannot deny that it's necessary. "Very well," he concedes. "Let's take a short break, then hike until we find the next shelter. You and Riku will wait there."

The squad leader pauses before adding, "Iruka, I want you to stay behind as well. Hayate is ill, and Riku…well, he's a civilian. I know I can trust them both to your care."

I see a flicker of fear in the scarred shinobi's eyes, and can't help but feel it's unfair to ask that of him. Hayate and I don't have other options; we can't keep going.

Iruka is being _told_ to stay behind and wait. Wait… not knowing whether the other team has made it, or if they were in trouble, or if they're dead. Just… wait… his life in another's hands, left to wonder if anyone is ever going to come for him.

Iruka inclines his head. "Very well, Izumo. I'll wait."

As planned, we travel together only as far as is needed to reach the next cave. Kotetsu and Izumo help the others set up camp. Soon enough, they are ready to depart once again.

Before the squad leader exits the cave, Iruka grips the man's sleeve, momentarily halting him. "Someone _will_ come for us, right?"

"I swear it," Izumo nods. "Even if we have to trek back here ourselves."

* * *

Waiting to die is, frankly, very boring.

I've lost all sense of time and, if Iruka hadn't marked the stone wall with his kunai every sunset, I would have thought we've been here five months, rather than five days.

I lay on my back, staring up at the rocks, far too weak to move. Hayate, ill as he is, still forces me to drink water often, disregarding whether or not I actually feel thirsty.

Every morning, Iruka staggers out of the cave and replenishes what water we've consumed the day before. He doesn't have to do this every day – we never even come close to running out- but I get the feeling he wants to make sure we always have a fully stocked supply, in case he finds himself unable to retrieve more.

Every morning, Iruka also checks on the brilliantly colored scarf he'd tied outside the cave as a signal, making sure it hasn't gotten covered by the snow.

One day, I ask him why a ninja carries such a hideously bright-orange scarf. "I thought you guys always dressed stealthily."

"It was a Father's Day gift," Iruka responds, a smile playing on his lips.

"You have children?" I ask, desiring to extend the conversation and dispel some of the mind-numbing boredom.

Iruka hesitates, as though he needs to think about it. Finally he shrugs and distantly replies, "I suppose not."

"Oh." What am I supposed to say to _that_?

"He's a teacher," Hayate supplies helpfully, his voice rasping. "So his kids aren't really _his._ Still, he's got plenty of people waiting for him at home."

Iruka's lips quirk at that. "I'm not usually gone this long. The Academy's on break for the summer, so I had the time for a long-distance mission… and I wanted to get away from the scorching Konoha weather." He chuckles wryly and rubs his hands together for warmth. "Next year, I'm think I'll volunteer to teach summer school."

The days pass and the wall is pockmarked as Iruka keeps track. We've done everything we can to pass the time, from exchanging riddles, to telling stories, to having a singing contest. The scarred ninja has a decent singing voice, but Hayate won with his raspings on love and separation because, as Iruka pointed out, "his heart was in it."

Now we're talking about what we'll do if we make it home.

"I just want to sleep in an actual _bed_," I mutter, acutely aware of all these days I've spent lying on cold, hard stone. "I'll even eat my wife's cooking. I swear I'll never complain about it again."

"I'm going to have a long soak in a hot spring," Iruka sighs, "while I plan out a unit on snow survival to add to the Academy curriculum. My kids aren't going to make the same mistakes we did."

"I…" Hayate's voice trails off. Finally he clears his throat, "I'm going to ask Yugao to marry me. I love her, and I need to stop dragging my feet in our relationship."

When these ninja first showed up at my company, I automatically pegged them as a band of unscrupulous, unfeeling, unprincipled mercenaries-for-hire. That is a common opinion among the people of Snow. I find that view melting away with each day I spend among these men of Fire.

* * *

The morning Iruka tries to stand, only to collapse weakly back on the ground, is the morning I realize we really _are_ going to die after all.

Today Hayate is so delirious with fever, he keeps talking to Yugao and doesn't even urge me to drink my water.

It's pitch black. All the time. Eventually I figure that the sun probably isn't gone. The cave entrance is just buried under snow.

I wake up and my tongue feels like sandpaper. I bring the canteen to my mouth. Only to find it empty.

I drift back into consciousness. In the distance, I hear the sound of wolves howling. It's strange, since there _are_ no wolves in this region. But then, I can't find it in me to care too much.

"They're coming," I hear Iruka murmur. Until just now, I wasn't even sure that he was still alive.

The howling gets closer. I wonder if the wolves are hungry too. Maybe they're coming to eat us. It would be a faster way to die.

There is a shuffling sound at the cave entrance as the wolves dig through the accumulated snow. Then a group of…dogs…clamber into the cave.

Dogs?

Three men follow. I wonder what's wrong with their faces. It takes me a while to realize that all three are wearing white porcelain masks with strangely painted features.

One of the masked "men" is actually a woman. Her long purple hair swings against her back as she flies to Hayate's side.

A masked, silver-haired man orders the dogs to secure the area. I'm delirious enough to hear the stubby little pug respond to him with human words. The silver-haired man then kneels to check on Iruka. He withdraws a thermos, and the heady aroma of soup wafts out when the lid is removed. He moves to press the container to the teacher's lips, but Iruka turns his head away.

"Izumo… and… Kotetsu?"

"They're just fine, Iruka-sensei," the silver haired man assures. "We caught up with them just outside a village 200 miles east of here. Bat stayed behind to treat them while we moved ahead to find you."

Assured of his comrades' safety, Iruka accepts a draught of soup.

I'm already hungrily gulping down the contents of a thermos that the third masked stranger offered me. In the back of my mind, it finally registers that these are ANBU- rumored to be the most frighteningly skilled soldiers of their village and sent only on the most vital of missions. What luck that they happened to come across our group! I vaguely wonder if it upset them, having to interrupt their task to come and rescue us.

With my belly somewhat fuller and warmth spreading through my body, I finally stop to say, "Thank you. We're so lucky you were passing by."

"Lucky?" the ANBU repeats, sounding offended. "_Luck_ had nothing to do with it."

The silver-haired man turns his masked face toward me. "We came to retrieve our own."

With great competence, and a surprising amount of care for ruthless killing-machines, the ANBU tend to Hayate's illness, wrap us in warm blankets, and see to our nourishment and hydration. The purple haired ANBU intertwines her fingers with Hayate's as she administers medication.

Finally, it sinks in that we are really and truly being rescued. Tears brim in my eyes, and Iruka looks over in concern. "Riku, are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Overwhelmed, yes, but fine. "I just…I thought for sure we were going to die, didn't you?"

The scarred ninja blinks at the question. "But Izumo swore someone would come for us… Didn't you hear him?"

Such faith in a promise from his comrade! I want to argue that in crisis situations you can't count on other people to come through for you. It just isn't as simple as that.

Looking around at the resolute ANBU, I reconsider.

For the Ninja of Fire Country, perhaps it is.


End file.
